Kazarma Fortress

The defenses around Sitia’s town and the magnificent Kazarma date from the late Byzantine period. Clearly, the Venetians utilized Sitia as a base for their operations in the Eastern Mediterranean. Over the ancient remains are built the massive architecture of the Venetian Kazarma castle and the feudal towers scattered throughout the area.

The fort was eventually restored by the Venetians, who also enlarged it. As a result of the Venetian occupation, the name Kazarma was taken from the Italian Casa di Arma, which means barracks. The Venetians had constructed Sitia’s most majestic and colossal monument. Kazarma was primarily a military facility with barracks for soldiers, but it also served as a government headquarters.

Kazarma is mostly made up of a medieval structure surrounded by enormous walls. As part of the defense system, the fortress on top of the hill had walls erected towards the sea, which met another wall on the beach. The fortress and the marine walls are still in fair shape, but the walls that connected them are no longer there. In case the fortress’s walls were breached, they erected a stronghold within it. From 1648 to 1651, the castle withstood a siege for three years.

The castle was destroyed by an earthquake in 1508, and it was further damaged in 1538 by the horrible pirate Barbarossa. The fortifications were largely destroyed as a result of the local people’s constant uprisings. In the end, the Venetians had no choice but to completely demolish them. This was done in order to prevent the Ottoman Turks from taking advantage of them. They did, however, intend to reconstruct them. Unfortunately for the Venetians, this never came to fruition.

Finally, the village was entirely obliterated in 1651, and the Turks conquered it. The walls were not rebuilt during the Turkish occupation period. The Kazarma, on the other hand, was repaired, and the Turkish expansions can still be seen in the cupolas (kubbe) that were utilized as watchtowers above the battlements. The Ottomans left their imprint above the entrance in the form of this lookout tower, which strengthened the fort.

The Kazarma has now been meticulously repaired. It is available to the public and provides a breathtaking view of Sitia Bay. It’s a wonderful place to start if you want to go sightseeing. When visiting the stronghold, take a walk about the region to explore the remnants of the long Venetian occupancy, which can be seen largely in the defenses, guard towers, and expansive mansions of the ruling family.

During the summer months, Kazarma is floodlit at night; it is the epicenter of Sitia’s cultural life and hosts the Kornaria Festival, a homage to the famous poet Vitzentos Kornaros, who was born in Sitia and wrote Erotokritos. In July and August, you may watch concerts, plays, art exhibitions, readings, and lectures, while concerts and art festivals are held throughout the year.